Production of staple fiber yarns and like products



Jan. 7, 1941. W, .POOL 2,227,911

UCTION OF STAPLE FBER YARNS AND LIKE PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PROD Filed Oct. 3, 1939 57)@-58 W. POOL mvswroe Jan. 7, 1941. w POQL 2,227,911

PRODUCTION STAPLE FIBER YARNS AND LIKE PRODUCTS needle-like spindle.

Patented Jan. 7, 1941 UNITED y STATES PRODUCTION 0F STAPLE FIBER YARNS AND LIKE PRODUCTS William Pool, Spondon,` near Derby, England, as-

signer to Celanose Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application October 3, 1939, Serial No. 297,670 In Great Britain October 10, 1938 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of staple ber yarns and like products, and is particularly concerned with the manufacture of such staple ber products from continuous laments. l

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method of forming a staple ber yarn or like product from a succession of groups of staple bers.

According to the present invention a process for the manufacture of staple ber yarn or like product (hereinafter referredto as a staple ber yarn) comprises feeding a succession of at wide groups of separated bers to the end of a rapidly rotating support in a direction across the axis of its rotation so that the ends of said bers are taken up on said support by previously fed bers and continuously drawing away along said axis of rotation a staple ber yarn resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support, said support extending axially from said staple ber yarn beyond any point at which said bers meet said support. The succession of groups of bers are preferably provided by cutting them successively from the end of a bundle of continuous laments that are separated at the end of the bundle from one another.

The support to which the bers are fed may be constituted by the rapidly rotating tail of the staple ber yarn being produced, the newly added bers being drawn away along the axis of rotation to form a new tail, or it may be constituted or augmented by a rapidly rotated ne In either case, the feeding of the.L separated bers across the axis of rotation, preferably at right angles thereto, ensures that the ends of the different bers engage the support at dierent points, and are disposed at different points in the length of the staple ber yarn produced. Similarly, when the free ends of the bers taken up are drawn away along the axis of the support, whereby they then constitute the new tail of the staple ber yarn being produced, they extend to diierent distances along said axis, and when subsequently formed into the body of the staple ber yarn, are disposed at different points therein. For this reason it is not essential that the separated filaments should be cut obliquely-,ior the purpose of staggering the ends ofthe bers in the groups of bers cut and ensuring that the ends of each group do not coincide in the finished product.

The ends of the groups of bers that are taken up by the tail of the staple ber yarn may be the leading ends, the bers extending from the cutting point to the tail of yarn, .or alternatively, they may be the rear ends, the cutting point being disposed close to the tail of yarn, and the bersextending, prior to being taken up, from the cutting point and beyond the tail of yarn. In either case, the appropriate ends of each group of bers are brought into contact with the rapidly twisting tail of the staple ber yarn, and the other, or free ends, then form a new tail thereto. The rapid twisting of the tail of the staple ber yarn has the double effect of imparting twist to the staple ber yarn and of taking up the ends of the groups of bers fed to it so that the staple ber yarn drawn away is a twisted yarn built up of the bunches of staple bers successively fed to the end of the product. The twisted yarn may be drawn away and collected in the form of a package by any suitable yarn collecting means, with or without further twist.

For the purpose of drawing away the free ends of the bersin a direction opposite to that in which the final product is drawn away for collection, suction may be employed, which suction is preferably intermittently applied immediately after each group of bers is cut from the end of the bundle of continuous laments. Additional suction may be applied in a direction at right angles both to the direction of feeding of the bers and the direction of passage of the nal product for the purpose of ensuring thatf the ends of the staple bers properly engage,

with the tail of the -staple ber yarn so as to be secured therein. Alternatively, this may be done by means of jets of compressed air, and/or by means of guards adapted to direct the ow of air in the desired manner. When suction is employed for this purpose it is, like that which draws away the free ends of the bers, of an intermittent character, being applied immediately after the ends of each bunch of bers to be taken 'up reach the tail of the staple ber yarn.

Suction means when employed for the above purposes are particularly convenient as enabling the production of yarn to be stopped, e. g. when a full package of the yarn has been collected and is to be replaced by an empty package, since by means of the suction the staple bers are drawn away from the point at which the yarn ls formed and do not clog the apparatus. For this reason the operation of cutting the staple bers from the end of the bundle of continuous filaments need not be stopped when the collection of the final product is stopped and the staple fibers produced at this time may be collected by a trap in the suction means and dis- 5 posed of as a valuable form of waste. yWhere the rearward ends of the fibers are taken up, so that the fibers are .fed 'past the tail of staple fiber yarn, the free ends may rst be blown into a channel connected with the suction system, so that fibers not taken up for any reason pass directly into the suction system.

The separation of the continuous filaments at the end of the continuous filament bundle, and the successive cutting of groups of bers therefrom may' be effected by causing the continuous filament bundle to be forwarded by means of an air jet, finally emerging from a nozzle of flat divergent section whereby the filaments are spread into a wide fiat band. In addition means may be provided for charging the filaments with static electricity to facilitate their separation from one another. Thus the filaments may be passed through a gate tension device adapted to electrify the filaments by rubbing contact, or the filaments may be electrified by being passed in contact with a positively rotated roller having a surplus of material removed in the electro-u static series from the material of the filaments. The wide nat band of separated filaments thus forwarded may then be intermittently out by means of a device of the hair-clipper type preferably acting in conjunction with deecting means which periodically presses the band of filaments into engagement with the cutting device.- For this purpose, an intermittently applied air jet may be employed, or a reciprocating member, or, especially where the rearward ends of the fibers are rst taken up-by the yarn, a rotary member which, after deecting the filaments into engagement with the cutter, Vproceeds to deflect the freshly cut fiber ends into engagement ith the rapidly rotating tail of the staple ber yarn. The rapid twisting of the end of the'staple liber yarn to which the cut bers are fed may best be effected, where a needle-like supporting spindle is used, by the rotationof said spindle. Where no spindle is used, the tail of the yarn constituting the support may be rapidly rotated by means of a twist tube through which the staple fiber yarn is drawn. Byreason of the fact. that the product has an end in close proximity to the twisting device, the twist imparted is,

in either case, a true twist. i

A convenient form of twist tube for the above purpose comprises a short light hollowspindlethat has a helical passage along its length andv is pressed into engagement with a friction wheel, preferablyof large diameter, bysuitable anti-friction means such as two pairs of overlappingwheels o mounted in anti-friction bearings. A spindle of this character beingvery light in weight may be rotated ata very high speed so that a substantial degree of twist may be imparted to the final product and a high rate of production may be maintained.

By way of example, some forms of apparatus suitable for carrying out the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a general side elevation of one form of apparatus employing a twist tube;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a part of the apparatus of Fig. 1 in which the yarn is formed;

Fig. 3' is a sectional front elevation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2;

yyarn I in the form of separated filaments.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the operative part of a further form of apparatus employing Aa needlelike spindle; v

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of a. modication 5 of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1-3.

Referring to Fig. 1, a `continuous lament yarn I is supplied from a large drum-like packsuch a manner that by rotating the package at l5` a constant angular speed the yarn is delivered therefrom at a constant rate in terms of Weight per unit time. Leaving the package 2 the yarn passes through a guide 5 adjustably mounted in a vholder 6 and over a roller l provided with a 20 'materiaL such as rubber, gutta 'percha or` like substance, suitably removed in the electrostatic series from the basic material of the filaments in the yarn 2. The roller 'I is driven with a peripheral speed substantially in excess of the 25 speed of the yarn I by means of a belt 8 driven from a pulley 9 on the main driving shaft I0 from which the friction wheels 4 are driven.

On leaving the roller I the filaments enter a device II supplied with compressed air through 30 a' pipe I2` from a header I3, the compressed air emerging from a jet I4 and carrying with it the The jet I4 is of flat cross-section so as to facilitate the separation of the laments, the said separa- 35 tion being also assisted by the e'lectrication of the' filaments engendered by their rubbing contact with the surface of the roller 'I. The filaments I, loosened and separated in this manner,- enter a further device l5 supplied with com- 40 pressed air through a pipe it from the header I3 and emerge with the compressed air from a nozzle I1 of fiat cross-section similar to the nozzle 14. Beneath the filaments as they emerge thoroughly separated and in a flat band from the 45 nozzle I 1 is disposed a cutter I8 of the hairclipper type operated by means of a belt I9 and a driving wheel 20. The cutter is operated contlnuously and the laments of the yarn I as they emerge from the nozzle I1 are pressed periodi- 50 cally into engagement with the cutter by means of two deflector rods -2I mounted on an arm 22 pivoted at 23`to the deviceI I5 and alternately lifted and pressed 'down at the desired intervals.

The endsof the continuous laments I are 55 l blown by the stream of air through the nozzle I1 into a' device indicated generally at 24, and to be described in greater detail hereafter with reference to Figs.' 2 and 3. They emerge from the device through a twist tube 25 in the form 60 of a continuous twisted yarn 26 consisting of staple fibers. The yarn 26 passes'through pigtail guides 21, 28 carried on a bar 30 and thence proceeds downwards through a pigtail guide 3| to a traversing guide 32 mounted on a travers- 65 ing b ar 33 by means of which they are conducted to a-package 34 which is carried in a bracket 35 and is driven by surface contact with a rotating drum 36. In this manner the yarn 26 is collected on the package 34. 70

in Fig. 3, the divergence of the walls of the channel plate 40 and the consequent divergence of the blast of air emerging from the nozzle I1 serving still further to separate the ends of the 5 laments from one another. On reaching the end of the channel plate 40 the ends of the laments encounter the tail 4| of the yarn 26, which extendsA beyond any point at which'the iilament ends meet it, so as to provide a sure and adequate support for the ends of the laments. The ends of the laments are urged downwards in contact with the said tail by a current of air induced by suction through perforations 42 at the end of the channel plate 40. The suction is induced, as

l5 shown in Fig. 3, by means of an injector device 43 to which air is supplied intermittently at the desired intervals by a pipe 44, the injector vdevice 43 lying at the bottom of a funnel shaped member 45 immediately below th-e perforations 42. The air sucked down the funnel 45 is blown in this manner into a suction conduit 46 and is carried away.

The tail 4| of the yarn 26 is rapidly rotated. This is brought about by means of a twist tube 25 through which the end of the yarn 26 passes. The twist tube is in the form of a short tube 25 having a twisted strip of metal 48 secured in the bore thereof so as to divide the bore into two helical passages along one of which the yarn 26 passes. The short tube 25 contacts with a pair of large friction wheels 49 driven by means of a driving band 50. The tube 25 is held in Contact with the wheels 56 by means of two pairs of anti-friction wheels 5| freely mounted on spindles 52 in a pair of side plates 53 provided with a cover 54 and hinged at 55. As is shown in Fig. 1 the spring 56 is provided with a butterfly nut 51 acting over the top of a lug 58 and pressing the side plates 53 and so the friction wheels 5| downwards, the lower end of the spring 56 being secured to the bar 30 carrying the pigtail guides 21, 28. By these means the twist tube 23 is rotated at a very high speed, and, on account of the helical form of the passage therein through which the yarn 26 passes a substantial frlctional eiect is exerted on the end of the yarn 26 s0 as to impart a twist to it. Since the tail 4| of the yarn 26 is free the twist thus imparted by the twist tube 25 is a real twist.

Since the yarn 26 is being continuously drawn away to the package 34 the tail of the yarn 4| must be continuously built up and this is brought about by the repeated engagement of the leading ends of the laments in the yarn with the tail 4|. As soon as the leading ends of 'the filaments in the yarn are brought in contact with the tail 4| by suction induced through the periorations 42 they become entangled therein and at the same time the deflector rods 2| depress 60 the laments into engagement with the cutting device i8 by means of wh'ch they are severed to form staple bers indica ed at 55. Immediately after severance the tail ends of the bers 59 are subjected to a current of air through perforations 60 in one side of the channel plate 56, the air being supplied through a pipe 6| and valve 62 operated in timed relationship with the depressor rods 2|. By these means the bers 59, which are now secured at their leading ends to the tail 4| of the yarn 26, are blown sideways,

that the dat passage 65 enters the tail pipe 63 tangentially and by this means a revolving air current or vortex may be set up in the tail pipe 63 in such a direction as to assist the twist tube 25 in twisting together of the bers 59 newly 5 added to the tail of the yarn 5|. If desired, the suction lin. the tail pipe 65 may be augmented, immediately after the severance of the iibers 59, by means of an ejector, disposed in the conduit 64 and similar to the ejector 43. It will be noted l10 that on account of the separating of the 'lbers 56 each ber ,end contacts with a diierent point on the tail 4| of the yarn 26. Consequently, when the rear ends of the iibers 55 are drawn down the tail pipe 63 they will extend to difl5 v ferent distances along said pipe. In this manner, the diierent bers are disposed in staggered relationship along the length of the resulting yarn and it is unnecessary for the cutting device i8 to make an oblique cut across the 20 ends of the fiat band of continuous laments emerging from the jet l1. The fibers 59, when they have become attached to the tail 4| of the yarn 26 and then drawn down the tail pipe 63, are subsequently pulled in the opposite direction 25 by the yarn 26 and so become the new tail 4| of the yarn 26 in readiness for the next group of bers 59 to be cut by the device. I8 and secured in turn to the new tail 4i and so on. In this manner a continuous twisted yarn of staple 30 bers 26 is formed and drawn away as it is produced. Y

In the device shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the general layout is the same as that of the device shown in Figs. 1-3. In this case, however, the 35 driving wheels 49 and the friction wheels 5| do not drive a twist tube such as the twist tube 25 ,but drive a short needle-like spindle 16 having a iiange 1| at its butt end engaging outside the side plate 53 carrying the anti-friction wheels 5|. .40 The point 12 of the spindle 10 extends across the end of the channel plate 60 and serves as a support for the ends of the bers 59 cut oi by the cutting device i6. No provision, in this case, is made for drawing out the rearends of the 45 fibers 55 by means such as the means 60-55 described with reference to Fig. l, since the needlelike spindle 16, extending from the yarn 26 axially beyond any point at which the fibers 59 may engage it, is always present to serve as a sup- 50 port by which the leading ends of the bers 59 may be taken up. The yarn 26 is drawn ot the point 12 of the spindle 16 and collected as described with reference to Fig. 1.

In the forms of apparatus described above, it 55 is the leading ends of the fibers 59 that are engaged by the rapidly rotating s port 4| or 10.

Alternatively, however, the rea ends may be engaged as shown diagrammatically in Fig.l 6. In this figure the leading ends 15 of the fibers 59 60 are sucked down a conduit 16 the suction in which is intermittent. When a sufcient length of ber has passed the cutting device i8 the deilector rods 2| act and the bers are cut oft'. Immediately. suction is applied through the per- 65 forations 11, so that the freshly cut rear ends of the nbers are sucked into engagement with the tail 4i ci. the yarn 26 being produced. The deilector rods 2| aid in bringing about this engage.. ment. Then the suction is cut ofiv in the con- 70 duit 16 and is applied in the tail pipe 63 so that the leading ends 15 of the bers 59 are swept sideways through a slot indicated at 18 in the tail pipe 63 and constitute the new tail il of the yarn 25.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Process for the manufacture or staple ber yarns and like products, said process comprising 'feeding a succession oi at wide groups of separated bers in the direction of the length of said bers to the end of a rapidly rotating support that lies transverse to said direction with its axis close to the plane in which said groups are fed, so that different bers in each group are takenup at diier'ent points on said supportI by previously fed bers and continuously drawing away along said axis a staple ber yarn resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support, said support extending axially from said staple ber product beyond any point at which said bers meet said support.

2. Process for the manufacture of staple ber yarns and like products, said process comprising feeding a bundle of continuous filaments, sepa-= rating the laments at the end of said bundle into a at wide band, cutting a succession oi' at wide groups of separated bers from said end, feeding said groups in the direction of the length of said bers to the end of a rapidly rotating support that lies transverse to said direction with its axis close to the plane in which said groups are fed, so that different bers in each group are taken up at different points on said support by previously fed bers and con tinuously drawing away along said axis a staple ber yarn resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support, said support extending axially from said staple ber product beyond any point rated bers in the direction of the length of said bers transversely across the tail of a staple ber product being produced, said tail lying close to the plane in which said groups are fed, rapidly rotating said tail so as to twist said product, and at the same time to take up at different points on said tail the different bers of each group. drawing away the free ends of the bers of each group after said bers are taken up so that they form a new tail to take up the next group, and.' continuously drawing away the staple ber product resulting from the successive addition of new groups ofbers to the tail thereof.

4. Process for the manufacture of staple ber yarns and like products, said'pxocess comprising feeding a succession of at wide groups offseparated bers in the direction of the length of said bers transversely across the tail of a staple ber product being produced, said tail projecting from a twist tube and lying close to the plane in which said bers are fed, rapidly rotating said twist tube so as to twist said product and at the same'time to take up at different points on said tail the different bers of each group, drawing away the free ends of the bers of each group after said bers are taken up so that they form a new tail to take up the next group, and continuously drawing away the staple ber product resulting from the successive addition of new groups of bers to the tail thereof.

5. Process for the manufacture of staple ber t yarns and like products, `nsaid process comprising feeding a succession of at wide groups of separated bers in the direction/r of the` length of said bers ,transversely across the` tail of a staple ber product being produced, said tail lying close to the plane in which said groups are fed, rapidly4 rotating said tail so as to twist said'product and at the same time to take up at different points on said tail the different bers B of each group, applying suction to said tailto hold it across the path of said bers and to draw away the free ends of said bers after they have been taken up so that they formy a new tail to take up the next group, and continuously drawing away the staple ber product resulting from the successive addition o i new groups of bers to the tail thereof.

6. Process for the manufacture of staple ber yarns and like products, said process comprising 1d feeding a succession of at wide groups of separated bers in the direction of the length of said bers transversely across the tail of a staple ber product being produced, said tail lying' close to the plane in which said groups are fed, rapidly rotating said tail so as to twist said product and at the same time to take up at dierent points on said tail the dierent bers of each group, applying suction to said tail to hold it across the path of said bers, applying a blast 25 of air cooperating with said suction to draw away the free ends of said bers after they have been taken up so that they form a new tail to take up the next` group, and continuously drawing away the staple bre product resulting 20 from the successive addition of new groups of bers to the tail thereof.

7. Process for the manufacture of staple ber yarns and like products, said process comprising feeding a succession of at wide groups of separated bers in the direction of the length of said bers to the end of a needle like support vthat lies transverse to said direction with its axis close to the plane in which said groups are ied, rotating said support so that different bers in each group are taken up at di'erent points on said support by previously fed bers and continuously drawing away o the end of said support a staple ber yarn resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support, said support extending axially from said staple ber product beyond any point at which said bers meet said support.

8. Process for the manufacture of staple ber yarns and like products, said process comprising feeding a succession of at wide groups of separated bers in the direction of the length of said bers to the end of a rapidly rotating support that lies transverse to said direction with itsaxis close to the plane in which said groups' are fed, so that different bers in each group are taken up at different points on said support by previously fed bers intermittently applying suction to the ends of said bers to be taken up on said support so as to draw said ends into engagement with said support and continuously drawing away along said axis a staple ber yarn resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support, said support extending axially from said staple ber product beyond any pointv at which said bers meet said support.

9. Process for the manufacture of staple ber yarns and like products, said process comprising 70 feeding a succession of at wide groups of separated bers in the direction of the length of said bers transversely across the tail of a staple ber product being produced, said tailq lying.

close to the *plane inlwhich said groups are fed, 75

rapidly rotating said tail so as to twist said product, and at the same time to take up at different points on said tail the different bers of each group, momentarily applying suction to the ends of said bers to be taken up on said tail so as to draw them into engagement with said, tail, drawing away the free ends of the bers of each group after said bers are taken up so that they form a new tail to take up the next group, and continuously drawing away the staple ber product resulting from the successive addition of new groups of bers to the tail thereof.

1i). Process for the manufacture of staple ber yarns and like products, saidprocess comprising feeding a succession of at wide groups of separated fibers in the direction of the length of said .fibers to the end of a rapidly rotating support that lies transverse to said direction with its axis close to the plane in which said groups 'are fed, so that the leading ends of different bers in each group are taken up at dif` ferent points on said support by previously fed bers and continuously drawing away along said axis a staple ber yarn resulting from the twisting together of lthe successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support, said support extending axially from said staple ber product beyond any point at which the leading ends of said bers meet said support 1l. Process for the manufacture of staple ber yarns and like products, said process comprising feeding a succession oi' at wide groups of separated bers in the direction of the length of said bers to and beyond the end of a rapidly rotating support that lies transverse to said direction'with its axis close to the plane in which said groups are fed, so that the trailing endsof diierent bers in each group are taken up at diierent points on said support by previously fed bers and continuously drawing away along said aids a staple ber yarn resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support, said support extending axially from said staple ber product beyond any point at which the trailing ends of said fibers meet said support.

12. Process for the manufacture of staple ber yarns and like products, said process comprising feeding a bundle of continuous laments, separating the filaments at the end of said bundle into a at. wide band, cutting a succession of at, wide groups of separated bers from said end, feeding said groups in the direc- -tion of the length of said bers transversely across the tail of a staple berY product being produced, said tail lying close to the plane in which said groups are fed, applying momentary suction to the leading ends of each group of bers as said ends reach said tail so as to draw said ends into engagement with said tail, rapidly rotating said tail so as to twist said product and at the same time to take up at different points on said tail the leading ends of the different bers in each group, applying suction to said tail, to hold it across the path of feeding of said fibers, directinga momentary blast of air on said bers, cooperating with said last mentioned suction to draw away the rear ends of said bers after the leading ends thereof have been taken up so that said bers form a new tail to take up the next group, and continuously drawing away the staple ber product resulting from the successive addition of new groups of bers to the tail thereof.

13. Process for the manufacture of staplecession of at, wide groups of separated bers,

applying momentary suction to the trailing ends of each group of bers after it is cut so as to draw said trailing ends into engagement with said tail, rapidly rotating said tail as to twist said product and at the sometime to take up at different ,points on said tail the trailing ends of the di'erent bers-in each group, applying suction to said tail to hold it across path of said laments and to draw away the leading ends of saidy bers after the rear ends thereof have been taken up so that said leading ends form a new tail to take up the next group of bers, and continuously drawing away the staple ber product resulting from vthe successive addition of new groups of bers to the tail thereof.

14. Apparatus for the production of staple ber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising means for rapidly rotating a support, means for feeding successive at wide groups of bers to said support in a' plane close to the axis of rotation of said support and in the direction of the length of said bers and across said axis so that the ends of said bers are taken up on said support by previously fed bers and means for drawing away the staple ber product resulting from the twisting' together of the successive groups of bers bythe rotatiomof said support.

15. Apparatus for the production of staple ber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising means for feeding a. bundle of continuous laments and for yseparating the laments at the endthereof from one another, means for cutting successive at, wide groups of bers from said end as the laments are fed, means for rapidly rotating a support, means f-or feeding said groups to said support in a plane close to the axis of rotation of said support and in the direction of the length of said bers and across said axis so that ythe ends of said bers are taken up on said support by previously fed bers and means for drawing away the staple ber product resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support. 16. Apparatus for the production of staple ber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising a twist tube, driving means for rapidly rotating said twist tube, means for drawing away through said twist tube al staple ber product being formed and twisted by the rotation of said twist tube, and means for feeding successive at wide groups of bers in a plane close to the axis of rotation .of said twist tube and in. a direction across said axis and parallel to the length of said bers so that the ends of said bers are taken lup on the tail of said stapleber produc so as to constitutea new tail thereto. 1

17. Apparatus for the production of staple ber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising a short hollow spindle adapted to make frictional contact with staple ber product pass ing through it, a friction wheel adapted to make friction means for holding said spindle in engagement with `said friction wheel, driving means for said friction wheel adapted to bring about rapid rotation of said spindle, means for drawing away through said spindle a staple fiber product being formed and twisted bythe rotation of said spindle, and means for feeding successive iiat wide groups of fibers in a plane close to the axis of rotation of said spindle and in a direction across said axis and parallel to the length of said fibres so that the ends of said bers are taken up on the tail of said staple fiber product so as to constitute a new tail thereto.

18. Apparatus for the production of staple fiber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprisn ing a twist tube, driving means for rapidly rotating said twist tube, means for drawing away through said twist tube a staple fiber product being formed, suction means adapted to act on the tail of said product projecting from said twist tube, and to hold it out against said drawing means, and means for feeding successive flat, wide groups of fibers in a plane close to the axis of rotation of said twist tube and in a direction across said axis and parallel to the length of said fibers so that the ends of said fibers are taken up on said tail of said staple fiber product so as to constitute a new tail thereto.

19. Apparatus for the production of staple fiber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising a twist tube, driving means for rapidly ro tating said twist tube, means for drawing away through said twist tube a staple ber product being formed, suction means adapted to act on the tail of said product projecting from said twist tube and to hold it out against such drawing means, means for feeding successive fiat, `wide groups of fibers in a plane close to the axis of rotation of said twist tube and in a direction across said axis and parallel to the length of said bers so that the ends of said fibers are taken up on said tail of said staple fiber product and an intermittently acting air-jet adapted to cooperate with said suction meansd to bring said fibers into alignment with said staple ber product after they have'been taken up on the tail thereof, so that they constitute a new tail thereto.

20. ApparatusV for Vthe production` of staple fiber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising a needle like spindle, means for rapidly rotating said spindle, means for feeding successive flat wide groups of fibers of said spindle in a plane close to the axis of rotation of said spindle and in the`direction of the length of said fibers and across said axis so that the ends of said fibers are taken up on said spindle by previouslyfed fibers and means for drawing away on the end of said spindle the staple fiber product resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of fibers by the rotation of said spindle.

21. Apparatus for the production of staple fiber yarns and like prod cts, said apparatus comprising means Afor rapisfly rotating a support, means for feeding succe sive flat Wide groups of fibers to said support in a plane close to the axis of rotation of said support and in the direction of the length of said fibers and across said axis, intermittent suction means adapted to draw the ends of Ilsaid bers into engagement with said support as said ends reach said support so that the ends of said fibers are taken up on said support by previously fed bers Vand means for drawing away the staple fiber product resulting from the twisting together of the successiveA groups of fibers by the rotation of said support.

22. Apparatus for the production of staple ber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising means for rapidly rotating a support,

means for feeding the leading ends of successive at wide groups of fibers to said support in a plane close to the axis of rotation of said support and in the direction of the length of said fibers and across said axis sothat said leading ends are taken up on said support by previously fed fibers, and -means for drawing away the staple fiber yarn resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support.

23. Apparatus for the production of staple fiber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising means for rapidly rotating a support, means for feeding successive fiat wide groups of :iibers to and across said support in a plane close to the axis of rotation of said support and in the direction of the length of said iibers so that the trailing ends of said fibers are taken up on said support by previously fed bers and means for drawing away the staple fiber product resulting from the twisting together of the successive groups of bers by the rotation of said support.

24. Apparatus -for the production of staple fiber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising means for feeding a bundle of conotinuous filaments and for separating the filaments at the end thereof from one another, means for cutting successive fiat, wide groups of fibers from said end as the filaments are fed, a twist tube, driving means for rapidly rotating said twist tube, means for drawing away through said twist tube a staple fiber product being formed and twisted by the rotation of said twist tube, suction ineans adapted to act onthe tail of said product projecting from said twist tube and to hold it out against said drawing means, means for feeding said flat wide groups to said tail in a plane close to the axis of rotation of said tail and in the direction of the length of said fibers and across said axis, intermittent suction means adapted to draw the leading ends of said fibers into engagement with said tail as said ends reach said tail so ,that the ends of said fibers are taken up on said support by previously fed fibers and an intermittently acting airjet adapted to cooperate with said rst-mentioned suction means to bring the rear ends of said fibers into alignment with said staple ber product after the leading ends have been taken up on the tail thereof so that said rear ends constitute a new tail thereto.

25. Apparatus for the production of staple ber yarns and like products, said apparatus comprising a twist tube, driving means for rapidly rotating said twist tube, means for drawing away through said twist tube a staple fiber product being formed and twisted by the rotation of said twist tube, means for feeding a bundle of continuous filaments across said tail and for separating the filaments at the end thereof from one another into a fiat, wide band lying in a plane close to said tail, means near said tail for cutting successive flat, wide groups of fibers from said end as the filaments are fed, intermittent suction means adapted to draw the rear ends of said fibers into engagement Twith said tail as said ends are cut 'so that said ends are taken up on said tail and suction means adapted to act on said tail, and to bring the leading ends of said fibers into alignment with said staple fiber product after the rear ends have been taken up on the .tail thereof so that said leading ends constitute a new tail thereto.

WILLIAM POOL. 

